Environmental Impact Statement - Sonoma Land Trust

California Department of Fish and Game
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Chapter 1. Introduction, Purpose, and Need
State and Federal Agency Sponsors
SLT currently owns the project site, and is the entity responsible for
implementing the proposed restoration. However, as discussed above, SLT
purchased the properties with the intent to transfer title of the properties to
USFWS and CDFG. Given that the transfer of lands will eventually come under
their jurisdiction, the USFWS and CDFG require this document to authorize
actions on refugetheir lands.
Secondarily, USFWS serves as the trustee agency for federally threatened and
endangered freshwater fish, plants, and wildlife under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and CDFG serves as the trustee agency for
rare, threatened, and endangered fish, plants, and wildlife of the state under the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). USFWS and CDFG are thus
tasked with issuing permits and approvals related to the preservation of protected
species and habitats within the project area. Specific permits and approvals that
may be required by USFWS and CDFG, as well as other applicable agencies, are
included in Table 1-1 in the “List of Local, State, and Federal Permits” section
below.
In addition to the project sponsors, 2 cooperating federal agencies participated in
the development and review of this EIR/EIS, and may use this document to
support their discretionary decisions (e.g., granting permits, providing grant
funding):
• United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Overview of the National Environmental Policy Act
and the California Environmental Quality Act
When a project 2 is subject to review under both NEPA and CEQA, state and local
agencies are encouraged to cooperate with federal agencies in the environmental
review process and to prepare a joint environmental document. The CDFG and
the USFWS have determined that the Project could significantly affect the
environment and have therefore prepared this joint environmental impact
report/environmental impact statement (EI/EIR).
2 The term project used in this EIS/EIR refers explicitly to the term as defined under CEQ’s regulations for NEPA
and the State CEQA Guidelines: “the entirety of an action which has a potential for resulting in a physical change in
the environment.”
Sears Point Wetland and Watershed Restoration
Project Final Environmental Impact
Report/Environmental Impact Statement
1-6
April 2012